The SmarK Rant for NWA Worldwide Wrestling – 01.04.86

The SmarK Rant for NWA Worldwide Wrestling – 01.04.86

Originally written 12.12.25

The people demand something different, so let’s go back to Jim Crockett Promotions from the beginning of 86!

Taped from Charlotte, NC

Your hosts are Tony Schiavone & David Crockett

BREAKING NEWS: Dusty Rhodes has beaten Buddy Landel for the National heavyweight title in Albuquerque, NM! (Spoiler: Buddy was fired and this never actually happened).

Ric Flair joins us first, and Dave has QUESTIONS about all the stuff Ric and the Andersons are doing to the babyfaces, but Ric thinks fans are too stupid to understand that they’re the best wrestlers in the world and they’re trying to set a good example for all the kids out there.

Manny Fernandez v. Thunderfoot

Mr. Foot attacks at the bell, but Manny wallops him with the FLYING BURRITO and finishes at 0:22. He didn’t even get his chaps off!

Meanwhile, David continues to smear and slander Flair and the Andersons, showing footage of them using a chair on Manny Fernandez and then triple-teaming Dusty Rhodes and trying to break his leg. I fail to see the issue.

Meanwhile, Tully Blanchard wants to know where Baby Doll has been since Starrcade, and she claims that JJ Dillon gave her a ticket to Acapulco as a Christmas present, and Tully thinks this is a load of crap and she’s lying to his face. Baby Doll appeals to JJ to back her up, and JJ is like “Well, you’re on your own, lady” and Tully HAULS OFF AND SLAPS HER! Holy shit. Dusty storms out and kicks Tully’s ass and declares SHE BELONGS TO ME NOW as the crowd goes absolutely nuclear. What an incredible piece of shit Tully Blanchard was.

Magnum TA v. Tommy Lane

Two hiptosses and the belly to belly finish at 0:30. Magnum is notably pissed off about what just went down and seems on the verge of snapping if it doesn’t get addressed.

Black Bart v. Pat Tanaka

Bart beats on Tanaka in the corner as the crowd is still riled up about Baby Doll getting the back of Tully’s pimp hand. Bart drops Tanaka on the top rope and beats on him with headbutts before working on his arm in the corner. Bart runs the shoulder into the corner as David promises that “something happened” with the Rock N Roll Express and he’s not going to spoil it for us but we’ve got to tune in and see it later! Bart keeps working the arm and then finishes with the Texas Compactor legdrop at 4:40.

The Rock N Roll Express v. George South & Gene Ligon

Oh my god I’m so glad to have a version of this stuff with the original music intact again. Rock and Roll is King was a great theme for them. This is from Mid-Atlantic that week, and Robert controls South with a headlock and hits a backbreaker while Jim Cornette joins us at ringside to annoy them. Over to Ricky, as Ligon misses a blind charge and it’s back to South, as the RNR put him aay with the double dropkick at 3:00. But then the Midnights run in and attack, tossing Robert facefirst to the concrete and then Cornette whips Ricky with the tennis racket to injure his arm before running away.

Magnum TA wants Tully to know that sure he was annoyed by Baby Doll, and sure he wanted to slap her around a few times and teach her a lesson, who wouldn’t? Women, am I right? But regardless he never did because he’s a real man! Also he’s coming after the Andersons’ National tag team titles in 1986.

JJ Dillon feigns innocence in the whole Baby Doll situation, and he claims that Baby Doll exhausted them because they had to keep stopping to return her dresses after she got too fat over the holidays and couldn’t make dates on time.

Cowboy Ron Bass v. Tommy Lane

Wait, didn’t he already do a job for TA a few segments ago? Bass beats on him in the corner and puts him down with a back elbow to cut off a comeback and drops an elbow on him. And the COWBOY CLAW finishes at 2:25. And here i thought there was only one group of Texans that were allowed to use a clawhold in 1986.

Krusher Krushchev joins us and he’s heard rumors that Sam Houston wants to take his Mid-Atlantic title, but he’s more focused on the Road Warriors at the moment. Uncle Ivan talks about setting goals in 1986, and since it’s the year of the Goodwill Games, they’re gonna spread some goodwill…ALL OVER THE ROAD WARRIORS! Sick burn.

Tully Blanchard v. Denny Brown

So Tully is now on his own again, just because he smacked Baby Doll around one time, and he’s a bit distracted. Brown gets a slam while JJ Dillon shows up at ringside to presumably take over as Tully’s manager and guilding moral light, and Tully tosses Brown. Back in the ring, Tully beats on him with forearms, but the crowd yells for Dusty and Tully loses his focus again and Brown makes a comeback. Tully cuts him off and slugs away on the mat, but Brown comes back with a bodypress and gets two as Tully makes the ropes to escape. Tully cuts him off again and beats on him with knees, and finally hits the slingshot suplex to finish at 6:00.

Meanwhile, buy the Starrcade 85 VHS tape for $39.95!

Tully Blanchard rants and raves to David that Baby Doll is bought and paid for and will be his property again, once he figures out what she’s done with all his money. And Dusty Rhodes stuck his nose in while he was reprimanding her like a little kid and giving her a little discipline, and JJ swoops in again and acts as manager for him.

Ric Flair v. Mack Jeffers

A rare treat to see the champ on TV this week, and he takes Jim down with a headlock before pounding him with chops and dropping a knee on him. Ric with the suplex and figure-four to finish at 1:25. Flair doesn’t let go, so Dusty takes matters into his own hands AGAIN, apparently arbiter of morality for everyone this week, but this proves to be a setup for an attack from Tully Blanchard and his new best friend JJ Dillon and their shoe. So Flair puts him in a figure-four and Tully helps out, until Baby Doll makes the unlikely save and goes after Tully. So Tully goes to beat her up in the corner, and as foreshadowed, Magnum TA hits the ring and just absolutely fucking wrecks Tully to save Baby Doll. And they do a gigantic brawl all over the ringside area, with Dusty getting laid out on the floor and busted open while Tully goes after the foot and tries to break it and we are DESPERATELY OUT OF TIME.

HOLY SHITBALLS what an angle to kick off 1986, beginning the formal creation of the Four Horsemen and turning Baby Doll into a babyface while making Magnum TA look like the biggest bad-ass ever. I love 86 JCP. I hope you do as well.